Herodotus - The Histories.pdf

The Histories–Book One V 77
very year in which it actually took place. The
Medes and Lydians, when they observed the
change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to
have terms of peace agreed on. Syennesis of
Cilicia, and Labynetus of Babylon, were the persons
who mediated between the parties, who hastened
the taking of the oaths, and brought about
the exchange of espousals. It was they who
advised that Alyattes should give his daughter
Aryenis in marriage to Astyages, the son of
Cyaxares, knowing, as they did, that without
some sure bond of strong necessity, there is wont
to be but little security in men’s covenants. Oaths
are taken by these people in the same way as by
the Greeks, except that they make a slight flesh
wound in their arms, from which each sucks a
portion of the other’s blood.
Cyrus had captured this Astyages, who was his
mother’s father, and kept him prisoner, for a reason
which I shall bring forward in another of my
history. This capture formed the ground of quarrel
between Cyrus and Croesus, in consequence of
which Croesus sent his servants to ask the oracle